On Monday morning I woke up, looked out the window, and decided we were going to spend the week camping in a field rather than cooped up in the house, so that was precisely what we did! Of course, in a climate like the UK, the weather can be changeable, so we packed a variety of wet weather, cold weather, and warm weather toys and activities to take along.
As compared to a foreign holiday where we want to see and explore as much as possible, camping out on practically our doorsteps means we can leave the cares of home life – laundry, cleaning etc – behind, and just chill out without having to be anywhere or do anything.
While we didn’t have all of the below toys and games with us, but they are easy to find in a store such as The Works, and we think they are toys and games that will be great camping in wet or sunny weather:
Sunny weather camping toys
Inflatables are great when you don’t have a lot of space, so try an inflatable paddling pool for starters – quick to fill, and nice to have around, inflatable pools mean you can relax at the tent or caravan while the small ones have a splash around.
Another space saving option that’s great for a host of games and activities is outdoor chalk – good for everything from wash-off graffiti to hop scotch, it’s a fabulous way to kill a few hours and it’s very cheap!
The desire to swing a sword is in every active child’s blood. Get a practice katana and they can have fun with it all day long, and might grow up taking kendo class to become a serious swordman!
And of course, nothing draws a crowd of kids like bubbles, so choose any number of bubble toys and before you know it there’ll be enough kids around to keep yours very busy!
Activities that put your brain and body to work have been said to improve body coordination; gel ball blaster guns are not an exception.
Rainy day camping toys
For rainy days, I recommend things like bead sets – if they get lost, it’s not the end of the world, and it doesn’t break the bank, but can keep the kids going for a while. Be prepared to spend the rest of your holiday wearing garish plastic jewellery though!
If your child is trustworthy with dough, a Dough Play Set is a great idea too – creative play and if they really get into it, it can last for hours, and because it was bought for the holiday you won’t cry tears over binning it at the end.
There’s also any one a gazillion board games too, with prices as low as £2, so if they don’t make it home it’s not the end of the world. I don’t know about you, but at home, life seems to short for board games, so on holiday is the perfect time to get on the floor and spend that time with the kids.
And last, but not least
And finally, for whatever the weather, a selfie journal to remind you of your holidays is good to work on before bed time or whenever you have a quiet moment!
